11 The wise are patient;
they will be honored if they ignore insults. – Proverbs 19:11
Godly people will not “have a chip on their shoulder” nor do they take insults and injustices to heart.
James gives us the New Testament pattern (James 1:19-20). …let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
30 Peace of mind means a healthy body,
but jealousy will rot your bones. – Proverbs 14:30 NCV
Peace and quiet within the soul is foundational to God’s plan (1 Timothy 2:1-4) (Matthew 5:9). He told us to seek the Kingdom first and he’ll take care of the rest (Matthew 6:33). Jealousy then, is wasteful, as it destroys us faster than it motivates us.
Go ahead, set goals, be productive and work hard, but enjoy the rewards of contentment (1 Timothy 6:6)
5 The goodness of the innocent makes life easier,
but the wicked will be destroyed by their wickedness. – Proverbs 11:5 NCV
The import result of practicing good habits is the momentum we get as a reward. The body gets stronger, the mind gets stronger and the spirit gets stronger. It becomes easier and easier to maintain all three of these parts of ourselves as they improve.
Isn’t this a major teaching point all of the major New Testament players were trying to make? (Galatians 6:7)
22 The Lord’s blessing brings wealth,
and no sorrow comes with it. – Proverbs 10:22 NCV
Solomon asked for wisdom rather than wealth and the Lord blessed him with both.
He learned that sorrow comes from sources other than the Lord, and probably from our own actions. For more information, see the book of Ecclesiastes.
So what do we do in the face of challenges and hard times? Paul says rejoice in them and be glad for the lessons we learn, and the experience we can pass on! (Romans 5:3-5)
13 Foolishness is like a loud woman;
she does not have wisdom or knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house
at the highest place in the city.
15 She calls out to those who are passing by,
who are going along, minding their own business.
16 She says to those who are uneducated,
“Come in here, you foolish people!
17 Stolen water is sweeter,
and food eaten in secret tastes better.”
18 But these people don’t know that everyone who goes there dies,
that her guests end up deep in the grave. – Proverbs 9:13-18 NCV
Living a godly life takes a lot of practice. It is a life lived by surrounding ourselves with good things.
Sinfulness is always present and ready to lead us away from the light. Peter says the devil is a “roaring lion on the prowl” (1 Peter 5:8). Be careful not to trade a lifetime of happiness for a day of fun.
1 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.”2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” – 2 Kings 7:1-2 ESV
Our Lord has asked us to pray for what we need Matthew 7:7, and Paul tell us God is very generous to those who remember to call upon him (Romans 10:12).
Have you ever felt like he doesn’t hear you? Better yet, have you ever realized a prayer was answered in a way you hadn’t planned?
Here are just a couple of things about prayer we can observe in our Bibles:
Read how God provided food for his people in an extraordinary way (2 Kings 6:24-7:20) and then meditate today about how God has impacted you when least expected.